DRC: Political opposition march in Kinshasa November 30 /update 2

Event

The DRC opposition coalition, Rassemblement des forces politiques et sociales acquises au changement (RASSOP), is planning a political march in Kinshasa on Thursday, November 30. The political opposition is expected to hold a meeting on Thursday in an open space between Boulevard Triomphale and Avenue de l'Enseignement (across from the Stade des Martyrs); most participants are expected to come from Kinshasa's Limete neighborhood.

Traffic disruptions are expected between Limete and the area around Stade des Martyrs, around the demonstrations, and along the airport road (Boulevard Lumumba), which may impede access to Kinshasa International Airport (FIH) on Thursday morning. On November 26, national authorities issued a ban on demonstrations scheduled to take place on November 28 and November 30 due to the risk of violence. ​​While Thursday's demonstrations are expected to be peaceful, political violence and clashes between opposition protesters and police are possible, and a heightened security presence is expected in the affected areas.

Context

Police arrested members of the LUCHA youth group protesting in Goma and Butembo (North Kivu province) on Tuesday, November 28. The protest was carried out despite a ban on the demonstrations, which were demanding the resignations of President Jospeh Kabila and North Kivu provincial governor Julien Paluku.

The current political crisis stems from President Joseph Kabila's refusal to step down after his term expired in December 2016. Under a deal struck between the government and the opposition, long-awaited presidential, legislative, regional, and local elections were supposed to take place before the end of 2017.

However, on November 5, the Independent National Electoral Commission (CENI) announced that elections would be set to take place one year after this deadline, on December 23, 2018. The opposition coalition has denounced the timeframe, insisting that Kabila leave office by the end of 2017 and demanding a transitional administration be put in place immediately and presidential elections be held in January 2018. Nationwide protests previously took place on November 15, resulting in numerous arrests and skirmishes with police forces.

Advice

The US Embassy in Kinshasa has advised individuals planning to fly to or from Kinshasa on November 30 to consider rescheduling their respective itineraries due to likely transportation disruptions around the airport. Potentially impacted travelers are advised to contact their airlines directly for further information.

Individuals present in the DRC are advised to monitor the situation, maintain a high degree of situational awareness, and avoid all rallies and demonstrations due to the risk of violence.